Victoriaâ€™s Legislative Council is due to have the final third reading VOTE on the Assisted Reproductive Treatment Bill â€“ givingÂ IVF for lesbians, homosexuals and single women NEXT WEEK – the FIRST week in DECEMBER.

This Bill gives IVF for lesbians, homosexuals and single women, allows them to be registered as ‘parents’ and opens up surrogacy.

After passing a second reading vote by 20 to 18, the Bill was sent off to the Legislation Committee for â€˜reviewâ€™. The Committee will report back to the Council by 1 December.
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If you live in Victoria, it is vital that we contact our FIVE Members in the legislative Council to ask them to vote AGAINST the Bill.
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Petition – A petition is being circulated â€“ it highlights the serious consequences of the Bill in allowing people who have NO biological link to the child (a lesbian partner or homosexuals who ‘commission a surrogate child’) to be registered as â€˜parentsâ€™.
The Bill ignores the rights of the child to be raised by its biological mother and father.
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The petition asks Members to REJECT the Bill.
DUE to TIME constraints, the petition needs to completed ASAP and sent back to Peter Kavanagh, MLC. The petition is attached.

Action – If you live in Victoria, there are THREE things you can do:

1.COMPLETE the attached PETITION

Get your friends and churches to fill it in.
NEXT SUNDAY is the last day to collect signatures.
Have a stamped envelope READY â€“ put the signed petition/s in the envelope on Sunday at the LATEST, and POST to Peter Kavanagh MLC, Parliament House, 1 Spring Street, Melbourne, Vic 3002.

Formal printed petitions are desirable as they contain a ‘signature’. However if you can’t do that, you could email your support: just forward this email so the petition stays attached, and say â€œI support the petition expressing concern about the registration of only two women or only two men as parents on the birth certificate as provided for by Assisted Reproductive Treatment Billâ€.
You need to provide your full name and full address.
Peterâ€™s email address is peter.kavanagh@parliament.vic.gov.auÂ Â

2 Contact your FIVE MLCs

Have you contacted your FIVE Members in the Legislative Council again?
PLEASE ask them to vote against the BILL.
Weâ€™ve attached a FULL list of the second reading vote â€“ with names, parties and email addresses.

Click here for your MLC details â€“ type in your address in the grey box and click â€˜Searchâ€™.
For a list of all MLCs click here. A LIST of the VOTE is attached.
* If your MLC voted AGAINST then Bill â€“ please encourage them to continue their opposition to the Bill.
* If your MLC voted FOR the Bill, ask them to re-consider the issues and vote against the Bill at the third reading to protect the interests of the CHILDREN who need a biological father and mother.
A FULL list of the second reading vote is attached.